Obama sees Pakistan progress on extremism

Obama sees Pakistan progress on extremism

Updated at: 2349 PST, Tuesday, November 24, 2009 WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said Tuesday he believed Pakistan was making progress in fighting extremism as he tried to assuage India's concerns about its historic rival. "Pakistan has an enormously important role in the security of the region by making sure that the extremist organizations that often operate out of its territories are dealt with effectively," Obama said. "And we've seen some progress," he said. He was speaking at a joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has called for greater pressure on Pakistan to rein in extremists one year after the grisly assault on Mumbai that left 166 dead. Obama pointed to Pakistan's offensive against Taliban insurgents in the Swat Valley and South Waziristan as a sign of progress. The operation "indicates the degree to which they are beginning to recognize that extremism, even if initially directed to the outside, can ultimately also have an adverse impact on their security internally," Obama said. Singh has called on Pakistan to clamp down on extremist groups that planned the Mumbai attacks but resisted calls last year to threaten military retaliation against the fellow nuclear power. "One of the things I admire most about Prime Minister Singh is that, I think, at his core he is a man of peace," Obama said.